How is weight loss for people over 50?

[DynamoMini 1]

Hello Everyone -

About the PB's/ most of the time occur when I am shoveling in food because I feel hungry. If I slow down, cut everything up, chew to mush and swallow, I do a whole lot better. I think I just swallowed my food before. I am going soooooooooooooo much more slowly when I eat. i am practicing throwing my food away after I am full or just tired or eating. This is new behavior. A huge departure from my former eating life.

Now I have problems eating and talking. I just have to do a lot of self talk to not do the shovel, swallow so I can talk, because I invariably will PB. Sometimes I think the PB can be random, but usually I can figure out what whent wrong. I also think I won't be as chatty at a meal as I used to be. Or just have to talk between bites. It helps to order easy food, like a Soup.< /span>

Hugs all and welcome newbies.

Michelle

[BJean 16]

Dynamo: Adopting your style of eating should help me not be so afraid of fills. I have been telling myself that I've been eating slowly and chewing extremely well, but I am sure I have not been diligent when I have an episode. I hadn't thought too much about it, but now that you mention it, I'll bet I've been talking too much, and too quickly when I have a PB.

All good tips! Thanks.

[green 6]

My problems occur whenever I eat with my husband. He's a competitive eater, we both were, and I find myself instinctively trying to keep up with him. I have to remind myself to slow down and chew, chew, chew. It does help to use mini-sized dining utensils I have found and so I prefer desert forks and teaspoons. I should buy more of them.

[IndioGirl55 32]

Way to go Gayle

Gayle -That's fantatistic !!!

I'm 50 and was banded on May 17 and so far I have lost 60 lbs.

Schemgie - I hope I do as well as you !!!

:bump2:Hi- just bumping it up. I lost y'all for a bit and couldn't find you! Where were you hiding? Anyone still over 50? Fabulous!?:bump2:

Just wanted to share my band date: Aug 23.

pjanes54 - Go to your userCP - this thread s/b there - that's how i always find it - Congrats on your date....

[ATTACH]9488[/ATTACH]

Hi y'all. I am approved and just waiting for my date now. I talked to the care coordinator and she said sometime in October but no firm date yet. I love that this forum has a thread for those of us in our Nifty Fifties! I am so excited about getting this band!! Anyway, good luck to everyone

Mary

Mary - Congrats on being approved... Yeas this is my favorite thread...

Welcome...

My problems occur whenever I eat with my husband. He's a competitive eater, we both were, and I find myself instinctively trying to keep up with him. I have to remind myself to slow down and chew, chew, chew. It does help to use mini-sized dining utensils I have found and so I prefer desert forks and teaspoons. I should buy more of them.

Green - I am eating with teaspoon and tiny forks - small plates etc. I have entered "bandster hell" last week ate 1/2 cup eat beater and was stuff today - was still hungry - can't wait until 9/5...

Ok Gang - there is a thread out there that ask "do you feel like you are dieting" What's your answers??? Mine was yes sort of cuz what i consider normal food is what got me where i am - imho even with the band you have to eat low fat, low sugar foods - no more brownies - slabs of meat the the fat - loaded baked potatoes

etc... Yes once in a while you can have these but not on a daily basis...

[Schemgie 0]

I am 50 and was banded on May 17 of this year

[DynamoMini 1]

Indigo - you are so right. It is a diet that isn't a diet. But if you want to lose weight you have to gear towards, low fat, high Protein, low carb choices.

Congrats to those with new band dates!

[green 6]

Ok Gang - there is a thread out there that ask "do you feel like you are dieting" What's your answers??? Mine was yes sort of cuz what i consider normal food is what got me where i am - imho even with the band you have to eat low fat, low sugar foods - no more brownies - slabs of meat the the fat - loaded baked potatoes

etc... Yes once in a while you can have these but not on a daily basis...

Your question is an interesting one. At the beginning when I was post-op I sort of did feel like I was dieting but this didn't bother me because it was medically indicated and it felt like both a bit of a game and a novelty. The game for me was to find Soups and yogurts (actually I substituted tzatziki and raita for the fruit flavoured yogurts) which would make that period an interesting and pleasurable one and ditto for the mushie phase. Because I really don't like sweet drinks I knew I wouldn't be able to do the Protein Shakes and so I decided I was just going to have to lose out on Proteins for a couple of weeks.

Except for being a bread, cheese, and Pasta freak my eating habits were pretty healthy. I just ate gigantic amounts of food is all. The band was brilliant for killing my ability to eat a lot of food. While the band was still a novelty to me I spent a lot of time working out how to eat healthier given my laziness in the kitchen and my particular food preferences.

By the time that this style of eating might have begun to feel like a diet it had instead become kind of natural to me. I now find that I no longer want to eat potato salad or do more than nibble a few french fries off my husband's plate. I do occasionally make myself some pasta but I usually use whole wheat pasta, stir fry a bunch of fresh vegies, and this will last me for a bunch of microwaveable meals. Thank gawd for the microwave, eh!

I suspect that I have 2 things working in my favour, two factors which help me work with the band: I don't have to cook for a family (my husband who works shift work is used to fending for himself); and I don't have a sweet tooth.

I do take a lot of Vitamin supplements, however: Calcium because I have osteopenia (a precursor to osteoporosis), Vitamin D (which is something that all folks who live in northern sunless climates need), the Bs and a general vitamin for folks who are 50. I take these because I want to cover my a$$ health wise.

I am aware that this has turned into a horribly long post but I am going to continue with it because I want to say that when I was first banded I started buying processed foods on the basis of their calories. After a couple of months of this it occured to me to examine the nutritional content of these foods and this was when I received a nasty shock. Vegetable soups and many pasta sauces contain little Vitamin C or other nutrients. The same bad news is true of many other prepackaged foods. Through careful hunting I located one or two pasta sauces which are rich in vita C. I also discovered that eggs are low in calories and loaded in vita E, the Bs and contain varying degrees of the necessary minerals. I mention this in order to urge all bandsters to read the nutrition facts when you do your food shopping.

You can all breathe a sigh of relief. Green is gonna shut up now.

[IndioGirl55 32]

Your question is an interesting one. At the beginning when I was post-op I sort of did feel like I was dieting but this didn't bother me because it was medically indicated and it felt like both a bit of a game and a novelty. .

You can all breathe a sigh of relief. Green is gonna shut up now.

No Green don't shut up !!!- this is where we get help and support... and right now i need it - cuz last night i made enchilladas and ate all 4 :faint:- not at one time but 2 for dinner with some Beans - then 2 hours later 2 bite and then hour later the rest. I am not too happy with myself right now.. :help:

I was very bored last night.. Night time is the WORSE for me.. and I don't have too much restriction

I have no DH to cook for but my 16 yr grandson - who is SKINNY - and most of the time takes care of himself - but i do cook for him a few time in the week cuz he does need more that top ramen Soups - banquet ck strips & french fries to eat (he is a picky eater)

I am getting ready to go to do my weekly grocery shopping. I am on soft/regular food - I need to make better choices this next week - no more cooking things i like and if i do - i will only cook enought to eat at that meal. I am terrible - i will pick at the left overs... I need a fill.

And i agree with the novelty of the band - I do read lables - but for calories not so much vitimans since i take them - I need to get the chew cacilum - but in the past when i had them - I would eat them like candy... So afarid of them

I don't know why every one says sorry for the long post - who cares if it takes 10 words or 100 word to get your point across... Use newbies need the ideas and thought of people who have more experience than us.

Michelle - thank for the confirmation...

Today is a new day and I will make better choices.... this is my mantra today.... I think i will try salad today - I have a great receipt for ranch dressing that has about 30 cal a tblsp - (ranch dressing in the package - lowfat buttermilk and nf mayo) Tatse just like regular ..

for the next 3 weeks I am going to work what little restiction i have 110% -- I will win I will win...

[BJean 16]

I am sure that mindless eating, not checking the nutritional or calorie stats of packaged foods, helped get me to the point of needing the band.

When I first had the band, I always checked the calorie count of anything I was about to eat. If it was less than 200 calories or a little more than 200 cals, I would consider it for a meal. If it was less than 100 calories, I would consider it for a snack. I was eating something about 5 times a day.

My dietician kept insisting that I not eat between meals and just eat 3 meals a day. That, believe it or not, was the beginning of a problem for me.

I think if I would go back to eating more frequently and having more low calorie grazing type meals, I would be better off. I was never a grazer before the band. I imagine that most obese people are ones who eat more than 3 meals a day. I managed to get way too many calories in by just having those 3 meals. When I ate more frequently (albeit low cal foods) I didn't get as hungry and I didn't expect a big meal, ever. I think at this point I'm going to go back to what I was doing that caused me to successfully lose 40 lbs.

I believe that the most important factor with or without the band is that we tailor any eating plan to what works for us as individuals.

What the h - e - double L is tzatziki?? And raita? Those don't sound like foodstuffs to me. Now let's do a chorus of Oklahoma!

[BJean 16]

We CAN do it Michelle. We have to refocus. We need to be having fun and doing something we enjoy that doesn't include food. Now letsee... what in the world can that be????

[green 6]

Yep, I find it difficult to eat many mini-meals but they say that that is much better for you. I tend to be a maxi mono-meal grrl. I tend to like to eat one big evening meal which lasts for hours!!!! Nights are my bad time. And I cannot eat Breakfast.< /p>

Do read labels for the nutrition facts as well as for the calorie info! Do treat yourself well. If you are going to use a teaspoon of margerine - use butter instead. It tastes better and is no more fattening and it actually has trace amounts of vita A. Classico Florentine Spinach Tomato sauce actually has tons more vita C than any other tomato sauce that I have found. Make your own Salad Dressing by combining extra virgin olive oil (which has the good kind of cholesterol) with vinegar (they say cidar vinegar is good for weight loss) and dijon mustard. I learned to do this in France years ago. You don't get any additives, eh. For those who like a less acid taste, add a little Balsamic vinegar.

Buy apple juice, a great source of vita C, but make sure that there has been no sugar added. If there is no sugar added, you will get a full day's worth of vita C and less than half the calories than you will get from a glass of orange juice. My husband drinks OJ but he isn't chubby.

eggs, as I have already said, are loaded with nutrition. I also eat those little tins of tuna which come with the pop tops. They make for good Snacks. When they are in season I eat avocados. They are kind of fattening but they are very good for you and I figure if I eat an avocado mixed up with salsa as an entire meal then I am not consuming too many calories.

If I am in the mood for meat I eat a filet mignon. I buy them frozen and then defrost one when I am jonesing for beef. This allows me to eat beef the way I like it, ultra-rare, and also stops me from eating too much.

Anyhow, these are some of my gimmicks for enjoying my food, avoiding cooking, and eating healthily. Sometimes I fall off the health wagon and I do love eating in restaurants. Since getting the band I do eat less and I do get to bring home doggie bags. This works out well for lazy Green.

Hope this info helps.

[pjanes54 0]

Gayle -That's fantatistic !!!

Schemgie - I hope I do as well as you !!!

Mary - Congrats on being approved... Yeas this is my favorite thread...

Welcome...

Green - I am eating with teaspoon and tiny forks - small plates etc. I have entered "bandster hell" last week ate 1/2 cup eat beater and was stuff today - was still hungry - can't wait until 9/5...

Ok Gang - there is a thread out there that ask "do you feel like you are dieting" What's your answers??? Mine was yes sort of cuz what i consider normal food is what got me where i am - imho even with the band you have to eat low fat, low sugar foods - no more brownies - slabs of meat the the fat - loaded baked potatoes

etc... Yes once in a while you can have these but not on a daily basis...

Duh! Thanks, I just subscribed. No more hunting for me.

Yup, I'm on that infamous SEE-FOOD Diet...

[DynamoMini 1]

pjanes - I went through a time of "last supper" eating before my preop diet. I think it didn't hurt. The fact that it wasn't THAT fun was an eye opener. There is a sensible part of me that really likes being under control.

Thank G-d for Lean Cuisine and South Beach frozen dinners. I seem to go for those more than tuna these days. I love filet and try to have it every other week. Last night I was out and treated myself to crab legs. Wow! I hadn't tasted anything like that for a long time. It was a meal with a long time friend. It wasn't hard not to eat the rolls and rice, knowing the alternative was King Crab. Yum! Sorry if I got you all salivating. I do think it was nice to desire something and really enjoy the taste without stuffing.

Hugs and happy Sunday eve,

Michelle

[Linda51 0]

Can you be a memeber of 2 groups Since I am 51, was banded last Sept 06 and a slower loser, have only lost 25 lbs I am both. I am very thankful that I have been banded, weight at the time of surgery 262 current weight 237 and have 75 more lbs to go. Went from jan07 to july 07 not doing anything, no additional fills ,no support group, no weighing, limited exercising, just thinking I am banded I don't eat what I use to so this is it. Well the good thing is I did loose a couple of pounds but decided at my 51 birthday, I better rethink why I got banded, why I self paid, and I didn't do this to maintain what I was, so since July I have gotten 4 fills, begun going to curves more consistently, and trying much harder. In July I did loose 8 lbs and am trying to do the same this month.

Just wanted to find out how many of you are in the 2 groups this one and slow losers and just wanted to let others know even though it has been slow, I am very happy I have had it done, still enjoy going out to dinner, but treasure what I do eat and have learned to really begin thinking about what I am putting in my mouth, which obviously hadn't before or I wouldn't have had a weight problem, how big it is, how much I chew and what I really should be eating. Still though I like to have some liquids but have cut drastically down and usually only take small sips.

Good luck to everyone and to those who are contemplating about having the surgery I would strongly recommend it because I know if I wouldn't have had it done I would have gained weight this past year and am determined to make this time in my life healthier than before.

Linda51

[momlambert 77]

Sure, Linda51, you can belong to as many groups as you would like! I think I'm subscribed to 75 threads or so--most aren't active anymore but I probably participate in 8-9 that are active. I haven't done the "slow losers" yet, although I've visited it many times. I don't want to label myself that yet until I have the proper fills, am doing everything I should be, and am still not losing. I REALLY don't want to be a member of that group (just me trying to be positive).

Good luck on your new start. My doctor says one of the biggest causes of failure with the band is drinking with food--even small sips. Apparently, it washes the food through the band so you don't feel full for as long and you can eat more than you should. He asks that we don't drink for a full 2 hours after eating. That's pretty extreme from what I read others do but I'm trying hard to follow his rules. FWIW. Good luck!